Car-coupling.



'N.o.-ss 9',1o1.f PATENTBD DEC. 25, 1906.

' F. J..BOWERYY.

.OAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21,1906.

(BEEP-T843221; 4.

m: NORRIS PETERS C0,. wAsl-Jmmolv. n. c,

.35 I feature of'my invention.

* CUNITED- STATMENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. BOWERY, OVF'VPITTSBURG, PENNSY VANIA, ASSIGNOR To.

THE'MQGONWAY' & TORLEY COMPANY, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYL- VANIA, ACORPORATION- or PENNSYLVANIA.

i l t CAR-COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern; i

. Be it"known thatI, FREDERIGKJ. BOWERY,

State of'Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and} useful Improvements in Car-Ooup-' inis; land I do hereby declare the following oe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in] the art to whichit appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to the construction of car-cou lers of the vertical-plane or Master Car-Bui 'ders" type, and hasfor its object to rovide such a form and arrangement of the ocking mechanism for the knuckle thereof that a strong, light, compact, and eflicient structureresults. I

*The' invention is illustrated as embodied in a car-coupler in Which the coupler-head is adapted tov be flexibly mounted upon one or I more -stems, draw-bars, brackets, or. equivadesired objects are attained by'cornbining with a coupler-head and its ivoted knuckle a lent parts, since said invention is particularly applicable to such astructure andmay be advantageously usedtherewith. These several spring-pressed lock or catc which is mounted on avertical pivotgupon the knuckle side of the coupler-head and which is. adapted to be broughttoan unlocked position through mounted onthe coupler-head by means of a. vertical pivotat or'near the center of said head, and such a construction embodies one I ing in elemental combinations and particular I the intermediacy of a lever, which is also There are'otherjfeatures of invention residconstructions, all as will hereinafter more fully a pear.

. Int e draw ngs chosen for the purpose of i illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointed'outin the claims, Figure 1 is a plan view of a car-coupler. embodying my invention, a part of the head being broken away to show the relative position'of the knuckle and knuckle-locking mechanism when the parts in an unlocked position.

are ina'locked'positionr Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupler shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a horizontal'central section of the coupler, I the locking mechanism being shown'in plan, Figs. 4, 5, and 6 "are enlarged detail views illustrating the as shown. The coupler-head i Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

knuckle lock or catch in front elevation, plan,

and side elevation, respectively. Figs. 7, 8,

and 9 are enlarged detail views illustrating the lock or catch actuating lever in plan, side elevation, and rear elevation, respectively.

Like 'symbolsrefer to like parts wherever they occur. I

I will now proceed to describe my 1mm tion morefully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same. I

. In the drawings, 1 is a coupler-head, to

which the knuckle 2 isattached in the usual manner the knuckle-pin 3, said khucklepin, if deslred, being inserted from below and retained in position by knucklein plate 3*,

ilustrated is constructed with a pocket 4, formed in the rear face'thereof, said pocket being for the purpose ,of receiving a draw-bar, which is adapted to be flexibly attached to said headv 1 by a pivot-pin 5 located in the median line ofthe head. When a coupler-head of the form heretofore described'is employed, the

pin 5 may alsoserve as a pivot for the catch or lock actuating lever 10, it being preferred to form said pivot-pin 5 with a collar 6, which abuts the under face of the coupler-head and between which and the nut on the lower end of the said pivot-pin 5 the lever 10 is mounted.

Upon the'knuckle side of the coupler-head means are provided for pivotally attaching to said head the horizontally-movable lock or catch9, which operates to retain the knuckle 2 in coupled position, said means preferabl consistin of a pivot-pin passing throug said catc 9 and through perforatedlugs7, which are disposed opposite the lock-abutment 8 of the coupler-head and adjacent to the inner or lock-engaging end of the knuckle; Pivotally attached to the cou ler-head, as

- of the knuc lo and the lock-abutrnent 8 of the coupler-head and which through the intermebefore described, is'the horizonta ly-rotatable diacy of the lock-lever or catch-lever 10 may r be rotated backwardagainst the pressure of thespring'll a suflicient distance to permit the knuckle 2 to move outwardly to an open position. This lock or catch is preferably constructed with perforated lugs 9 which are interposed between the lugs 7 of the couplerhead and are attached thereto by means of the pivot-pin, which passes through each of the several lu s referred to, such a construction enabling ight castings to be used and also permitting ready inspection of the looking mechanism.

The body portion of the lock 9 is formed with a pocket or recess 9 which receives the inner end of the knuckle when the several parts of the coupler are in coupled relation, the end wall 9 of the catch 9 then being interposed between the locking-face 2 of the knuckle-tail and the lock-abutment 8 of the coupler-head. The recess 9 of the lock or catch 9 is preferably open adjacent to the perforated lugs 9 of said lock, as such a construction permits the locking end of the knuckle 2 to be seen when the parts are in locked position. For this purpose the lock 9 is formed with horizontally-extending top and bottom Walls 9 and with a rear wall 9 said walls eX tending between the end wall or locking-wall 9 of the lock and the perforated lugs 9 thereof.

Formed upon the rear wall 9 of the lock 9 and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a cupshaped s ring-seat 9 which is provided with .a centra pin or lug that is adapted to enter the bore of the spring 11, the said spring-seat being somewhat elongated and having in clined end walls and the central pin or lug being also inclined to ermit the said spring to be compressed linea ly without lateral distortion when the lock or catch 9 is rotated backward to an unlocked position.

As a means of forming an operative connection with the upwardly-extending pin or post 10 of the catch-lever 10 the end wall 9 of the catch 9 is formed with a recess 9 which extends upwardly from the under side of said catch at a point slightly to the rear of the recess 9 thereof, said recess or socket 9 as shown, being somewhat elongated in crosssection, so as to permit the post 10 to approach or recede from the pivotal center of the said catch 9 when the latter is moved to locked or unlocked position. The outer portion of the end or looking wall 9 of the catch 9 is rounded or beveled, as at 9 so that the said catch may be forced rearwardly by the enga 'ement of the curved face 2 of the knuc e 2 therewith when the latter moves from an uncoupled to a coupled position.

: Pivotally mounted upon the coupler-head 1, as by being mounted on the vertical pivotpin 5 at the center of the head, as heretofore described, is the bell-crank catch-lever or lock-lever 10, said lever having an arm which extends toward the pivoted catch or look 9 and which is provided with a vertical post 10, which enters the socket 9 of the lock 9. The other and preferably longer arm of the catchlever 10 may be provided with any suitable meansas, for example, the hole 10 for forming a connection with the usual or any desired form of uncoupling device such as is operated from the platform or side of a car.

To facilitate the introduction of the lock or catch operatin post 10 into the socket 9 of the lock or catc 9 to minimize the friction. between said catch and post, to relieve the said post from excessive strain, and to permit the pin-and-socket connection between the catch 9 and catch-lever 10 to compensate for inequalities in the pivoting of said catch and catch-lever, the said operating pin or post 10 is preferably ta ered vertically, so that it is of slightly less iameter at its upper end than at its base.

As a means for normally maintaining the pivoted lock 9 in locked position a spiral spring 11 is employed, said spring being housedwithin the coupler-head 1 and having one end seated upon the spring-seat 9 of the catch 9. The other end of the spring 11 bears against the rear wall of the couplerhead and is maintained in relation therewith by means of the lug 1, which is so inclined as to permit the said spring 11 to change the inclination of its axis without bending transversely.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupler, the combination with.

a coupler-head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock pivotally mounted upon the knuckle side of said head, said lock having a pocket which receives the locking end of said knuckle when the parts are in locked position and also having an elongated springseat provided with inclined end walls, and a spiral spring engagingsaid lock and said head and adapted to be compressed lineally without lateral distortion when the lock is moved to an unlocked position.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a coupler-head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, and a pivotally-mounted lock for said knuckle, said lock having an end wall, a rear wall, and top and bottom Walls, said walls forming a pocket for the reception of the locking end of the knuckle when the parts are in a locked position and said end wall being beveled to permit the said lock to be forced rearwardly by the knuckle when the latter is moved from an open to a closed position.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with a coupler-head, of a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock pivotally mounted upon said head, and a lock-actuating lever pivotally mounted upon said head, said lock and said lever having a pin-and-socket connection the pin whereof is tapering.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with a coupler-head which is adapted to be pivotally connected to a draw-bar or the like, of a knuckle, a pivotally-mounted lock, and a IIO lockactuating lever which ispivotally mounted on said head at the point of drawbarconnection.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with a coupler-head which is adapted to be pivotally connected to a draw-bar or the like, of a pivotally-mountedknuckle, a lock mounted on a vertical pivot at the knuckle side of said head, a lock-actuating lever which is pivot.- 10 ally mounted on a vertical pivot at the point of draw-bar connection with said head, and

a s ring which normally maintains said lock in ocked position. r

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK J. BOWERY. Witnesses: Y FRANK BowERY-.

F. D. EOKER. 

